1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that determines a scene of an input image and executes image processing in accordance with the determined scene.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are conventionally known image processing apparatuses that determine a scene of an image and a type of an object and execute image processing in accordance with the determined scene and the determined type of the object. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-259372 discloses an image output apparatus that determines whether or not input image data shows a vivid scene (object) and outputs an image showing a vivid scene at high resolution.
Conventional technology disclosed in the above Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-259372 determines whether or not input image data shows a vivid scene based on whether or not the number of pixels with high chroma is larger than a predetermined threshold value.
However, when a method is used whereby a scene is determined based only on the rate of pixels with high chroma, the result of the determination may not match the perception of a user (photographer). For example, compare a vivid scene of FIG. 11A captured in a well-lit location during daytime (normal vivid scene) with a scene of FIG. 11B showing a colorful and vivid night view with illuminations (night-view vivid scene). Although these are both scenes that are perceived by the user (photographer) as vivid, the rate at which pixels with high chroma occupy the image largely differs between these scenes. In the case of FIG. 11B, only regions with light sources have high chroma, and therefore the rate at which pixels with high chroma occupy the image is small compared to the case of FIG. 11A. Thus, with a conventional method whereby a scene is determined simply on the basis of color information of an image, it is not possible to appropriately determine whether or not an input image shows a vivid scene in line with human perception, both for a bright scene captured outdoors during daytime and for a dark scene showing a night view.